Automatically-operable valve.



UNITED sTAirEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES EDWARD HASTY, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HAS'IY MANUFACTUR-ING- COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIOALLY-OPERABLE VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 22, 1909.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Serial No. 508,887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES EDWARD HAs'rY, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Elgin, in the county of Kane and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Automatically-Operable Valve,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, illustrating same.

My invention relates to valves and also to means for automaticallyoperating such valves under certain conditions.

The principal objects of my invent-ion are, to provide improved meansfor causing the automatic operation of a valve under certain conditions;to provide improved means for causing the operation of a valve from adistance, by electrical mechanism; to provide improved means forautomatically locking the valve in closed position when it is closed;and to provide improved constructions in valves andautomatically-operating mechanism therefor as will be hereinafter morefully described.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

The locking features of the valve herein illustrated are particularlyclaimed in my copending application Serial No. 534,129, filed December20, 1909, which is a division of the present application.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the preferredform of the improved valve of this invention, with portions shown incross-section to show the interior construction thereof; Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the lower portion of the valve casing, taken the sameas Fig. 1, showing the annular recesses in the casing and one of thepassageways connecting the said recesses; Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe lower portion of the valve casing and plug stem, taken atright-angles to Fig. 1, showing the annular recesses in the casingaround the stem of the plug and also the small depressions for holdingthe valve-operating mechanism in the position in which the valve isfully opened; and Fig. 4: is an edge elevation of a portion of theoperating mechanism of Fig. 1.

Like characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

In certain places and at certain times it is very desirable to be ableto cause the operation of a valve, in gas or water systems,

at some distance from the valve, and also to know that the valve hasbeen suitably operated by automatic mechanism when it is lmpossible toreach the valve to operate it by hand. For instance, in the case of aburning building it is very desirable to shut off the supply of gas tothe building, in the main pipe preferably at the meter, to avoidexplosions and the possibility of increasing the fire. Oftentimes it isimpossible for a person to reach the valve in the main pipe to close it,as when the building or basement of the building is full of fire orsmoke, and in this case it is very desirable to have means forautomatically closing the valve when the fire produces considerable heattherearound, or means associated with the valve which can be operated ata distance to automatically close the valve as desired. To these endsthe valve-operating mechanism .of this invention is provided. In suchautomati cally-operable valves it is also very desirable to have meansfor automatically locking the valve in closed position when it isautomatieally closed, so that it cannot be again opened until unlocked.This feature is accomplished by the mechanism hereinafter described.

In the valve-operating mechanism shown, the valve is automaticallyclosed by the fusing of a joint, upon abnormal heating, which allowsspring mechanism to automatically operate the apparatus and thus closethe valve. The valve-operating mechanism besides having the fusiblejoint, also has a heat-producing element for generating heat to causethe fusion of the joint, the said heating element being connected incircuit with a suitable source of electrical supply for heating andfusing the fusible joint.

In the drawings, 1 is a valve casing and 2 is a valve plug, the saidplug having a stem 3 extending from the casing. The casing 1 is providedwith an inlet t leading to the tapered plug seat, and an outlet 5leading from the opening for the stem 3. The upper end of the plug 2 isprovided with a longitudinal hole 6 extending part way down the plug andmeeting a transverse hole 7 through the plug, preferably as shown. Whenthe tapered portion of the plug 2 is raised from its seat, against theaction of coil springs 8 and 9, the inlet 4: is connected with the hole6, and then by properly turning the plug 2 the outlet 5 is connectedwith the transverse hole 7 which is now raised into alinement with theoutlet 5. Thus it will be seen that when the plug 2 is raised from itsseat and properly turned, the passage through the valve is opened, andthat when the plug is lowered into its seat the passage through thevalve is closed.

The lower end of the plug 2 is provided with a longitudinal hole 6therein within which is placed a plunger a and a coil spring I) actingthereon. The plug 2 also carries a pair of pins 0 c therein, looselyplaced within a transverse hole in the plug 2. The outer ends of thepinsc 0 project out past the plug stem 3 into an annular groove withinthe casing 1, as shown in Fig. 1, when the plug 2 is seated in its seat,so as to lock the plug 2 down until it is desired to release same. Thenit is desired to raise the plug 2 out of its seat to open the valve, itis necessary to raise the plunger a against the action of the coilspring Z), by thrusting an instrument into the hole 6 against theplunger a. Then the plunger 64 is thus raised, the pins 0 c are free tomove inwardly, and, therefore, the plug 2 is free to be raised from itsseat. Now when the plug 2 is raised from its seat while the plunger a isheld up, the pins 0 c are pressed inwardly by their contact with thecasing 1, until they lie entirely within the plug stem 3, the plug 2being new free to be raised from its seat as desired. Now when the plug2 is again seated in its seat, the pins 0 0 are lowered with the plug 2until they are forced out by the plunger a into the annular recess inthe casing 1, as shown in Fig. 1, thus again locking the valve in closedposition. It will be readily understood that when the valve is eitheropen or closed, the plug 2 may be turned around as desired, the pins 0 0in no way limiting such movement.

The lower end of the plug stem 3 carries a cross bar 11, preferably madeof two formed metal portions, which extends through a slot 10 in thelower end of the plug stein 3. A nut 12 securely holds the bar 11 inplace, by being screwed up tightly against the bar 11 and also squeezingthe bifurcated end portions of the plug stem 3 together against the bar11. The bar 11 is provided with a' hole 11 therethrough through whichthe instrument for raising the plunger a may be inserted as desired.

The cross bar 11 is provided with a pair of upturned arms 11 11 at eachend thereof, bet-ween which arms are loosely pivoted a pair of operatingarms 13 13 at 14 14:. The arms 13 13 are connected together at theirlower ends by a fusible link 27 28 which is loosely pivoted to the arms13 13 at 15 15. The upper ends of the arms 13 13 extend inwardly as at16 16, and are beveled as at 17 17, to cooperate with the annularpassage ways 18 and 19 and the beveled annular projection 20 of thecasing 1. The annular passageway 19 for the portions 16 16 of the arms13 13 is the annular corner portion directly beneath the annularprojection 20. The annular projection 20 is preferably provided with apair of diametrically opposite passageways 21 connecting the annulargroove 18 and the cylindrical. portion 19, and also with a pair ofdiametrically opposite depressions 23 on the upper beveled surfacethereof, located midway between the pas sageways 21. The ends 16 16 ofthe arms 13 13 are adapted to slide through the passageways 21 when thearms 13 13 and cross bar 11 are turned around to the proper position andthen all raised as a unit with the plug 2 against the action of springsS and 9, from the full-line position of Fig. 1 to the height shown indotted lines 22 22, the plug now taking the dotted-line position 2. Itwill be readily seen that the arms 13 1.3 may be turned clear aroundwith the plug 2, in either their lower position or their upper position22 22, in the latter position the mechanism if so turned opening andclosing the outlet passage 5 during a revolution. It will also be seenthat when the hole 7 is in alincment with the passage 5 so that thevalve is fully open, the ends 16 16 of the arms 13 13 will drop downslightly into the depressions 23 so as to prevent the valve plug 2 frombeing turned until the operating mechanism is slightly raised. Thisserves as a latch to hold the valve open against any accidental turningof the operating mechanism.

It will be readily seen that when the arms 13 13 are turned so that theends 16 16 thereof are directly above the passageways 21 2], in theupper position, the springs S and 9 will automatically act to throw thearms 13 13 and the plug 2 to the lower position, thus seating the plug 2and tightly closing the inlet passage 4. Now if the operating mechanismis turned around in this lower position, the valve will not be opened inthe least, because the inlet passage t is always tightly closed by thetapered portion of the plug 2. Thus it will be seen that thisarrangement provides a safety valve which is also capable of manualoperation as desired.

The purpose of the upturned arms 11" 11" is to protect the upperportions of the operating arms 13 13 from injury from falling objects,as in the case of burning buildings, and from other foreign objects, soas to preserve the usefulness of the valve. If, however, sueh fallingobjects strike the lower ends of the arms 13 13 they may in some casescause the operation of the valve, by breaking the fusible link, evenbefore the. fire has heated the said link.

ithin the lower end of the portion 19 of the casing 1 is placed apacking ring 2!- and suitable packing 25, the ring 24- being heldagainst the packing by spring 9. The

spring 9 is preferably inclosed by a cup shaped portion 26 which isadapted to slide over the portion 19 when the arms 13 13 are raised.

The fusible link shown in Fig. 1, comprises a hollow metallic spool 27and a metallic pin 28 soldered therein by easilyfusilole solder andoperable endwise through the spool 27. The portion 27 has a heating coil32 wound thereon for producing heat by means of an electric current tofuse or soften the easil sible solder. One terminal of the windingconnected to a terminal member 34: which is suitably insulated from itsarm 13 and from the remainder of the valve-operating mechanism, theother terminal of the winding 32 being preferably connected to the valvemechanism.

Of course it is to be understood that various forms of heating elementsmay be used in the apparatus of this invention.

If the fusible link 27 28 is abnormally heated while the valve is open,either by fire or by an electric current, the easily-fusible solder isthus softened or melted, whereupon the spring members 8 and 9 acting onthe plug 2 and the valve-operating mechanism, automatically force theupper portions 16 16 of the arms 18 13 apart, due to the beveledsurfaces of the depressions 23, and thereby force the valve-operatingmechanism and the plug 2 as a whole, to the lower position shown in l 1,the lower ends of the arms 13 13 being forced together. Thus itwill beseen that the fusing or weakening of the fusible link 21 28 causes thevalve to be automatically closed. If it is desired to reset theapparatus so that the valve can be again held in opened position, it isonly necessary to heat the link 27 28 in any suitable manner, such aswith a soldering copper or an electric current in the coil 32, and placethe parts of the link in normal position, whereupon the cooling of thesolder restores the fusible link and the arms 13 13 to normal positionand condition.

@f course the device of this invention may be readily made to resolderitself in. oper ative condition, or in other words self-sol- (lei-ing,by simply equipoing same with spring mechanism, such as a coil spring 28Sail rounding the portion 28, adapted to auto matically throw the upperends 16 16 of the arms 18 13 inwardly after they have been SPrQtlLlapart and automatically operated to their lower position by the fusingof the fusible link, before the fusible link cools after operation.

I do not wish to limit this invention to all of the exact details hereinset forth, as various modifications of same may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the appended claims.

What 1 claim as my invention is:

1. A valve having a plug adapted to be placed in a plurality ofpositions along the longitudinal axis thereof and to be turned in one ofthe said positions to regulate the valve passage spring-actuatedmechanism adapted to automatically throw the said plug from one of thesaid positions to another, and heat-susceptible mechanism normallyrestraining the said spring-actuated mechanism from operating butpermitting the operation of same upon abnormal heating, whereby the saidplug is automatically operated from one of the said. positions toanother.

2. A valve having a plug adapted to be placed in a plurality ofpositions and to be turned in each of the said positions,spring-actuated mechanism adapted to automatically throw the said plugfrom one of the said positions to another, heat-susceptible mechanismnormally restraining the said spring-actuated mechanism from. operatingbut permitting the operation of same upon abnormal heating, and aseparate heater associated with the said heat-susceptible mechanism forheating the latter by an electric current, to permit the said plug to beautomatically operated from one of the said positions to another.

3. A valve having a plug adapted to be raised from its seat to open thevalve and then turned to regulate the valve passage, and spring-actuatedmechanism adapted to hold the plug from its seat against the springtension thereof, whereby the valve is kept open, the saidspring-actuated mechanism having a heat-susceptible portion associatedtherewith whereby it is normally held intact but adapted upon abnormalheating to automatically seatthe plug and close the valve.

l. A. valve having a casing and a plug for controlling the passagethrough the valve, the said casing having a plurality of annularpassageways therein, operable mechanism for the plug having a pair ofarms adapted to cooperate with the said passageways, a heat-susceptiblelink normally holding the said arms intact, and spring mechanism adaptedto operate the said arms from one of the said passageways to anotherupon the abnormal heating of the said heat-susceptible link, forcontrol-ling the passage through the valve.

5. A valve having a casing and a plug for controlling the passagethrough the valve, the said casing having a plurality of annularpassageways therein, operable mechanism for the plug having a pair ofarms adapted to cooperate with the said passageways, a heat-susceptiblelink normally holding the said arms intact, spring mechanism adapted tooperate the said arms from one of the said passageways to another uponthe abnormal heating of the said heat-susceptible link, for controllingthe passage through the valve, and means for abnormally &

heating the said heat-susceptible link by an electric current to causethe operation of the apparatus.

6. A valve having a casing and a plunger adapted to be placed in aplurality of posi tions and to be turned in each of the said positions,mechanism for operating the said plunger and adapted to be placed in aplurality of positions, means for holding the said operating mechanismin each of the said positions, said mechanism comprisingheat-susceptible mechanism normally hold ing the said operatingmechanism intact, and spring mechanism acting on the said operatingmechanism whereby the latter and the said plunger are automaticallyoperated from one of their said positions to another upon abnormalheating of the said heat-susceptible mechanism.

7. A valve having a casing and a plunger adapted to be placed in aplurality of positions and to be turned in each of the said positions,mechanism for operating the said plunger and adapted to be placed in aplurality of positions, means for holding the said operating mechanismin each of the said positions, said mechanism comprisingheat-susceptible mechanism normally holding the said operating mechanismintact, and spring mechanism acting on the said operating mechanismwhereby the latter and the said plunger are automatically operated fromone of their said positions to another upon abnormal heating of the saidheat-susceptible mechanism, and means for abnormally heating the saidheat-susceptible mechanism by an electric current to cause the operationof the apparatus.

8. A valve having a casing with a plurality of annular passagewaystherein, a plunger for controlling the valve passage and adapted to beplaced in a plurality of positions and to be turned in each of the saidpositions, mechanism for operating the plunger, the said mechanismhaving a plurality of arms cooperating with the said an nularpassageways whereby the said mechanism and plunger may be maintained insaid plurality of positions, a heat-susceptible link normally holdingthe said arms intact and adapted to permit the actuation thereof uponabnormal heating, and spring mechanism adapted to throw the said plungerand operating mechanism therefor from one po sition to another uponabnormal heating of the said link, whereby the closing of the valvepassage is automatically controlled.

9. A valve having a casing with a plurality of annular passagewaystherein, a plunger for controlling the valve passage and adapted to beplaced in a plurality of positions and to be turned in each of the saidpositions, mechanism for operating the plunger, the said mechanismhaving a plurality of arms cooperating with the said annular passagewayswhereby the said mechanism and plunger may be maintained in saidplurality of positions, a heat-susceptible link normally holding thesaid arms intact and adapted to permit the actuation thereoit uponabnormal heating, and spring mechanism adapted to throw the said plungerand operating mechanism therefor from one position to another uponabnormal heating oil the said link, whereby the closing of the valvepassage is automatically controlled, and means for abnormally heatingthe heatsusceptible link by an electric current to cause the operationof the apparatus.

10. A valve having a casing with a fluid conduit therethrough and with aplurality of annular recesses, said recesses being connected by suitablepassages, a *alve plug, operable mechanism therefor having armscooperating with the said recesses whereby the said mechanism may bemaintained in a plurality of positions, the said mechanism in one of thesaid positions being incapable of eltecting the llow of fluid throughthe said conduit and being capable of ell'ecting the flow of fluidthrough the said conduit when in another of said positions, and beingadapted to be turned in each of the said positions, heat-susceptiblemechanism normally holding the said operable mechanism intact, and meansfor automatically throwing the said operable mechanism from one of thesaid positions to another upon abnormal heating of the saidheat-susceptible mechanism.

11. A valve having a casing with a lluid conduit therethrough and with aplurality of annular recesses, said recesses being coir nected bysuitable passages, a, valve plug, operable mechanism theret'r'or havingarms cooperating with the said recesses whereby the said mechanism maybe maintained in a phirality of positions, the said mechanism in one ofthe said positions being incapable of effecting the flow of fluidthrough the said conduit and being capable of ellecting the flow offluid through the said conduit when in another of said positions, andbeing adapted to be turned in each of the said positions,heat-susceptible mechanism nor mally holding the said operable mechanismintact, and means for automatically throwing the said operable mechanismfrom one of the said positions to another upon abnormal heating of thesaid heat-susceptible mechanism, and means for abnormally heating thesaid heatsusceptible mechanism by an electric current to cause theoperation oi? the apparatus.

12. A valve having a casing with annular passageways therein and aplurality of arms cooperating with the said passageways whereby the saidarms may be maintained in a plurality of positions and turned in each ofthe said positions, the wall between the said passageways having aplurality of recesses therein cooperating with the said arms to preventthe accidental turning of the latter in one of the said passageways,spring mechanism for throwing the said arms from one position to anotherupon ab normal conditions, and a heat-susceptible link normally holdingthe said arms intact but permitting of their operation upon abnormalheating.

13. In a valve having valve-operating mechanism adapted to be placed ina plurality of positions and to be turned in each of the said positions,means for holding the said mechanism in each of the said positions,means for preventing the accidental turning of the said mechanism in oneof the said positions when the valve is open, the said mechanismcomprising spring mechanism for throwing the said valveoperatingmechanism from one position to another upon abnormal conditions, andheat-susceptible mechanism normally holding the said valveopcratingmechanism intact but permitting of its operation upon abnormal heating.

14-. In an automatically-operable valve having arms for maintaining thevalve mechanism in set position and aheat-susceptible link forcontrolling the said arms, secondary arms for protecting thefirst-mentioned arms from injury from foreign objccts, substantially asdescribed.

15. A valve of the character described having a plug adapted to beplaced in open and closed positions and to be turned in each of the saidpositions, means for holding the said plug in open position, a fusiblelink normally holding the valve intact when in open position, springmechanism acting to automatically throw the said plug to closingposition when the said link is abnormally heated, and mechanism adaptedto automatically lock the valve in closed position substantially asdescribed.

16. A valve having a casing with annular passageways therein and aplurality of arms cooperating with the said passageways whereby the saidarms may be maintained in a plurality of positions and turned in each ofthe said positions, the wall between the said passageways having aplurality of recesses therein cooperating with the said arms to preventthe accidental turning of the latter in one of the said passageways,spring mechanism for throwing the said arms from one position to anotherupon abnormal conditions, a heat-susceptible link normally holding thesaid arms intact but permitting of their operation upon abnormalheating, and means for abnormally heating the said heat-susceptible linkby an electric current to cause the operation of the apparatus.

17. In a valve having valve-operating meclr anism adapted to be placedin a plurality of positions and to be turned in each of the saidpositions, means for holding the said mechanism in each of the saidpositions, means for preventing the accidental turning of the saidmechanism in one of the said positions when the valve is open, the saidmechanism comprising spring mechanism for throwing the saidvalve-operating mechanism from one position to another upon abnormalconditions, and heat-susceptible mechanism normally holding the saidvalveoperating mechanism intact but permitting of its operation uponabnormal heating, and means for abnor mally heating the saidheat-susceptible mechanism by an electric current to cause the operationof the apparatus.

18. In a valve having a valve plug adapted to be placed in a pluralityof positions and to be turned in each of the said positions, means forholding the said plug in each of the said positions, means forpreventing the accidental turning of the said plug in one of the saidpositions when the valve is open, and heat-susceptible mechanism forcausing the operation of the valve upon abnormal heating.

19. In a valve having a valve plug adapt ed to be placed in a pluralityof posit-ions and to be turned in each of the said positions, means forholding the said plug in each of the said positions, means forpreventing the accidental turning of the said plug in one of the saidpositions when the valve is open, heat-susceptible mechanism for causingthe operation of the valve upon abnormal heating, and means forabnormally heating the said heat-susceptible mechanism by an electriccurrent to cause the operation of the apparatus.

20. In a valve having a plug and mechanism for raising. the plug fromits seat and then turning the plug to open the valve, means forpreventing the accidental turning ot the said mechanism when the valveis open, and heat-susceptible mechanism for causing the operation of thevalve upon abnormal heating.

21. In a valve having a plug and mechanism for raising the plug from itsseat and then turning the plug to open the valve, means for preventingthe accidental turning of the said mechanism when the valve is open,heat-susceptible mechanism for causing the operation of the valve uponabnormal heating, and means for abnormally heating the saidheat-susceptible mechanism by an electric current to cause the operationof the apparatus.

22. In a valve of the character specified having arms for maintainingthe valve mechanism in open position and a heat-sus ceptible link forcontrolling the said arms, secondary arms for protecting thefirstmentioned arms from injury from foreign objects.

23. In a valve of the character set forth having mechanism formaintaining the valve in set position and a heat-susceptible link forcontrolling the said mechanism, mechanism for protecting the first saidmechanism from injury from foreign objects.

24.. In a valve of the character set forth having mechanism formaintaining the valve in open position and a heat-susceptible link forcontrolling the said .mechanism, mechanism for protecting the first saidmechanism from injury from foreign objects.

25. In a valve of the character set forth having operating mechanismtherefor and a heatsusceptible link for controlling the said mechanism,mechanism for protecting the said operating mechanism from injury fromforeign objects.

26. In an automatically-operable valve having heat-susceptible mechanismfor controlling the actuation of the valve, means for automaticallyreseeuring the said mechanism in operable condition after operationwhereby it may be again operated.

27. In an automaticallyoperable valve having heat-susceptible mechanismfor controlling the actuation of the valve, a sepa rate heaterassociated with the said heatsusceptible mechanism for abnormallyheating the latter by an electric current, and means for automaticallyresecuring the said mechanism in operable condition after operationwhereby it may be again operated.

28. In a. valve having a plug and a heatsusceptible link normallyholding the valve intact, a plunger within the plug, spring mechanismacting on the said plunger, and transverse members carried within theplug, adapted to project therefrom and cooperating with the saidplunger, whereby the plug may be automatically locked against operationas desired.

29. In a valve having a plug and heatsusceptible mechanism normallyholding the valve intact, a plunger within the plug, and locking memberscooperating with the said plunger whereby the plug may be locked againstoperation.

30. In a valve of the character specified having arms for maintainingthe valve mechanism in set position, secondary arms for protecting thefirst-mentioned arms from injury from foreign objects.

31. I11 a. valve of the character specified having arms for maintainingthe valve mechanism in open position, secondary arms for protecting thefirst-mentioned arms from injury from foreign objects.

32. In a valve of the character set forth having mechanism formaintaining the valve in set position, a plurality of arms forprotecting the said mechanism from injury from foreign objects.

83. In a valve of the character set forth havingmechanism formaintaining the valve in open position, a plurality of arms forprotecting the said mechanism from injury from foreign objects.

34.. In a valve of the character set forth having operating mechanismtherefor, a plurality of arms for protecting the said operatingmechanism from injury from foreign objects.

As inventor of the foregoing I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th dayof J uly,

CHARLES EDIVARD HA STY. IVitnesses IV. C. VVEBs'rnn, N. E. RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

